Rio Rancho Schools union president appears with Bernie Sanders at D.C. event

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Rio Rancho Public Schools Union president advocated for higher teacher and staff pay Thursday during a town hall meeting held by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey, who both used the event to announce new legislation.

Billie Helean, who is also a first-grade teacher at Ernest Stapleton Elementary School, spoke on Capitol Hill with Vermont’s senior senator and Massachusetts’ junior senator, who introduced the Pay Teachers Act and the Pay Paraprofessionals and Support Staff Act, respectfully.

“When we value our schools financially, we value them wholly, and it ripples out to improve education and a healthier school environment for our kids,” said Helean, who was tapped to speak by the American Federation of Teachers after Sanders asked the union to invite an educator from New Mexico. “These two bills from the senators are an extension of this essential principle, and we must support their efforts.”

Her comments came two weeks ahead of the start of school — Aug. 7 — for Rio Rancho students, teachers and staff.

The Pay Teachers Act would provide educators at least $60,000 a year with increases over the course of their career, according to a news release from Sanders’ office. The legislation would also triple Title I school funding and give teachers $1,000 a year to buy classroom supplies, the senator told educators at the town hall. New Mexico’s junior senator, Ben Ray Lujan, is listed as a co-sponsor, along with Markey and six other Democratic senators, according to the release.

“Bottom line is, we need a revolution in education,” Sanders said during the town hall.

The Pay Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Act would give school staff a minimum of $45,000 per year, according to a press release from Markey’s office. The legislation was co-sponsored by five Democratic senators and Sanders, an independent, the release said.

“You — the paraprofessionals, the bus drivers, the custodians (and) speech pathologists — lay the foundation for our children’s future,” Markey said during the town hall. “It is about time we support you.”

In an interview, Helean cited data from the RRPS website stating that first-year Rio Rancho teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree make $59,927, a figure within striking distance of Sanders’ bill.

“We’re almost there, but if we want to remain competitive with other states, that would mean that the federal government funding $60,000 would give us the opportunity to pay a Level 1 teacher even more and make us attractive to other teachers in other states,” Helean said.

Responding to Markey’s bill, Helean cited more data from the RRPS website, which says educational assistants make $32,136. These educators, she said, are considered Tier 3 — the highest-tiered assistants.

“Sen. Markey’s bill would go above and beyond that,” Helean said, “and that’s what we need because they’re doing some of the hardest work in our schools.”

She included other staffers, such as custodians and cafeteria workers, as those who could benefit from Markey’s bill.

“We want to see everybody paid wages that are commensurate with the work they’re doing,” Helean said.

Asked whether New Mexico lawmakers could do a better job of addressing school employee pay as opposed to Congress, Helean said it “boils down” to budgets and how money is allocated.

“Could we do better in New Mexico? Absolutely, and that’s the goal of these two pieces of legislation,” Helean said.

She added that she didn’t want to sound ungrateful for what state lawmakers have done, including boosting teacher pay this past legislative session.

“What we’re experiencing in New Mexico should be the experience of every educator across the country,” Helean said.

She later participated in a roundtable discussion with other educators and advocates, including AFT President Randi Weingarten, who just weeks ago toured RioTECH, Rio Rancho Public School’s premier career and technical education school set to open next month.

On Friday, Helean was given a tour of the White House by Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury before participating in the TEACH convention at the Washington Hilton.